NFL: Giants sack Daboll after latest loss to Bears
The New York side have had another painful season in the NFL...
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been dismissed following another late-game collapse, this time against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Giants squandered a double-digit advantage for the second time this season, losing 24-20 in Chicago after holding a 10-point lead with fewer than four minutes to play.
They are now just the second team since the NFL merger to suffer such losses twice in one season, alongside the 2004 Seattle Seahawks.
Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Kafka will assume interim coaching duties. Kafka, 37, has been viewed as one of the league’s promising young minds and has previously interviewed for several head coaching positions.
New York’s 2-8 start continues a dismal trend for the franchise, marking the third consecutive year they’ve won only two of their first ten games. Since the beginning of the 2023 campaign, the Giants have gone just 11-33 overall.
When asked after Sunday’s defeat if he was concerned about his job security, Daboll replied, “I’m just focused on these guys in the locker room.”
The loss also saw rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart enter concussion protocol for the fourth time this year, including the pre-season. Dart, a first-round pick and one of Daboll’s hand-picked selections, has tallied 17 total touchdowns through seven starts but continues to battle injuries.
Daboll’s tenure began with high expectations after his impressive debut season in 2022, when he guided New York to a 9-7-1 record and a surprise play-off win in Minnesota, earning NFL Coach of the Year honours.
However, the momentum quickly evaporated. The Giants have since struggled to close out games, blowing double-digit leads in four separate road contests this season alone.
Across four seasons, Daboll posted a 20-40-1 record, a .336 winning percentage that ranks below predecessors Ben McAdoo and Ray Perkins.
Daboll’s fiery demeanour reportedly led to several incidents, including a public rift with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale following the 2023 campaign and a $100,000 league fine earlier this year for approaching the medical tent while Dart was being evaluated.
At one stage, general manager Joe Schoen reportedly had to monitor the coaching headsets to review Daboll’s in-game communication.
The coach also became infamous for a heated sideline exchange in which he threw a tablet toward then-quarterback Daniel Jones.
Despite the internal friction, both Daboll and Schoen were retained after last season’s 3-14 finish. However, pressure mounted when Giants owner John Mara publicly warned that improvement was mandatory if the pair were to see a fifth year in charge.